Hip Pocket Devotional #1

While writing up an email for the Men’s Ministry the other night, I was led to finish off the email with a short devotional… So here is the very first Hip Pocket Devotional. I bet more will be coming…

Hip Pocket Devotional:

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

In reading this verse the other day, we cannot help but return to the context of verse 2: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

During some of the Bible Study nights, mention of God’s “assurance” has been raised. Assurance as in KNOWING, that as a member of the Body of Christ, one is or better said this way… YOU are a child of God! Have you experienced storms/trials/tribulations? Have these times seemingly put your face in the dirt as you struggle to raise above the turmoil? GOOD! JUST HOLD ON!!! As one trains for any athletic event, a person PUSHES themselves to the point they can’t move another step and then… push themselves HARDER to go two extra steps. Athletes do this TO themselves because they KNOW exactly what they will endure or experience during the next competition event. However with God, He will do this training TO you and through the trails/storms/tribulations, He is building you UP to withstand events you HAVE NO idea are coming. That is why He pushes you SO hard, you CAN’T push yourselves harder to go those two extra steps. UNLESS, one of the points of such trials is to MAKE you reliant on God. He forces you to find the value in TOTAL surrender over to Him and when you GIVE IT UP, to Him, GUESS WHAT? He empowers you to do the impossible and go not only 2 extra steps but you will be able to go ALL the steps needed to handle ANY event or problem you encounter in the future. Praise God when God hits you so hard, you face plant into the ground and can’t get back up under the weight of the storm! Surrender, fast, pray, STUDY… He will pick you up, dust you off and give you what is needed!!